Lifestyle
Astrology Forecast August 14 – 20, 2023
The week begins with a confident Leo Moon this morning that will boost our self-esteem, assertiveness, and creative expression. It will culminate in a Leo New Moon on Wednesday morning, causing our emotions to dominate in a positive, uplifting way the first three days of the week and ensuring that our interactions with others will be kind and harmonious.
However, the gentle, sentimental mood of tomorrow night’s Leo Moon conjunction with Venus could later turn into an irritable mood, irresponsible actions, or hypersensitivity under the Leo Sun square with Uranus in Taurus tomorrow night. What may start out as a lovely romantic evening with someone special could morph into an impulsive, emotional whirlwind, so try to avoid spiraling into unnecessary emotional drama.
The best time to get anything of a detailed or organized nature done this week is Thursday and Friday, when the Moon moves through intellectual Virgo. Whether you’re clearing out clutter at home, creating a new organizational system at work, restructuring your finances, or dealing with personal health issues, the Virgo Moon will ensure a more successful effort. A Virgo Moon conjunction with Mercury also ensures that Friday will be a great day for business success and sound judgment in professional matters.
The weekend is all about balance, as a Libra Moon reminds us to look closely at any areas of our lives that have become unbalanced or out of order. Relationships are also highlighted this weekend, inviting us to spend more time with our loved ones and give thanks for the special people in our lives. The Libra Moon sextile Venus in Leo makes Sunday the perfect opportunity for a romantic outing with your partner, or a blind date with a new love interest.
Manifesting A New Reality
It is never too late for a fresh start or a new life adventure. An attitude of optimism is key in a spiritually aware life. Within the realm of universal possibilities there is always the opportunity to evaluate your current standing compared with your desired end result, and to make some changes if necessary to manifest a new reality.
Visualizing the sought-after outcome is paramount in creating your new reality. Whatever you focus on intently will manifest consistently. Remember, what you think about, you bring about!
Continue to focus on the positive outcome, not the intricate steps necessary to attain success. Believe that the environment you have visualized continues to manifest in the background.
If you continue to give energy to negative scenarios, you will create more of the same. Stay stuck in the mire of discontent and you will remain frozen in that spot. It is impossible to take flight when slogging through the quicksand of doubt day-to-day.
Visualize for a few minutes each day as you drift off to sleep at night, and again each morning as you start to awaken.
Create in your mind’s eye the most magnificent vision of your new reality or desired outcome, with vibrant color, exquisite sound, penetrating scent, palpable touch and delicious taste. See, hear, smell, touch and taste all the components of your eventual success.
But you are not merely an observer. You must be a wholehearted participant in the creation of your new reality, so see yourself in the picture.
The Ghosts Of Regret
As part of my training as a spiritual life coach, our class was asked to do a profound exercise. Our task was to imagine ourselves on our deathbed someday, being visited by a gathering of ghosts. We had to imagine these ‘ghosts’ from our past as being very bitter and angry, because they represented all the things we never achieved or succeeded in, coming back to haunt us. They were the ghosts of our unfulfilled goals and dreams returning to die along with us.
We were asked to then review our life and imagine what we would say to ourselves and our ‘ghosts,’ now that our life is over. What would we advise ourselves to do if we could go back in time, get a second chance, and somehow live our life anew?
For me, this was a very thought-provoking process. The first thought for me was my personal ‘bucket list’ of things I still want to experience in this lifetime. For example, I still want to travel on the Orient Express train with my family; see the view from The Shard (a 72-storey skyscraper in London); fly down The Grand Canyon; and witness the splendor of Niagara Falls.
There are many things I still hope to also do. But why have I not done at least some of it yet? Too busy earning a living? Yes, we all get busy, and most of us need to work. However, does this mean we cannot also lead a fuller life?
The next thought the deathbed exercise brought up for me was a sad memory from a few years ago, when my late brother was receiving rehabilitation treatment at a local hospital. We were very close as siblings. He confided in me one day, while we sat looking out the hospital window and saw a young family walking by, that he often feels intense regret and sadness when he sees people with their kids and grandkids, while he had no offspring of his own.
Spirit Guides Us In Our Dreams
Spirit guides us in our dreams. Whatever your usual spiritual practice may be, it is never truly complete without the inclusion of your dreams. I often advise my clients to pay more attention to their dreams, as they can contain messages and guidance from our angels, guides and departed loved.
The most important dreams are usually the ones that are most vivid, unusual, and at times also upsetting. When we get a dream that really throws us, it is wise to contemplate them carefully to interpret its meaning.
The best thing to do is keep a record of all your dreams. Write it down in a dream journal you keep next to your bed, or download a dream app to record your notes.
It is important to try and remember as much of your dreams the moment you wake up, before you get up, to ensure your dream is still fresh in your mind. It is further recommended that you try to keep your body in the same position when you wake up to boost your dream memory.
Our dream memories fade quickly after waking and typically disappear from our conscious awareness within a minute or two.
Our dreams often do not make much sense at first as dreaming occurs in the subconscious mind and is therefore usually somewhat abstract and even bizarre. Keeping records enables you to refer back to previous dreams, which often begins to reveal the meaning of your personal dream symbols and recurring themes.
Astrology Forecast August 7 – 13, 2023
This week promises to be harmonious and productive as cosmic enegies unfold in a steady and uplifting manner. All in all this week will be the calmest we’ve experienced in a while, with more of the same next week.
The Moon will glide through Taurus today and tomorrow, making the first two days the most productive of the week. Grounded, energetic, and optimistic, we will get the week off to a good start under this influence. A Taurus Moon sextile with Saturn in Pisces today, and a trine with Mars in Virgo tomorrow, will further boost our organizational skills and resourcefulness. It will inspire us to take responsibility and pursue our goals with determination and practical action.
Three days of social interaction and informative conversations follow under the Gemini Moon on Wednesday through Friday. It offers a great opportunity to lay the groundwork for future enterprises, so use these three days to gather more information, research the validity of what you know so far, and brainstorm with others for fresh ideas and alternative paths to make your ideas a reality.
Stepping back to focus on self-nurturing and relaxation will be the focus this weekend, as the Moon enters Cancer and reminds us to take care of ourselves, the people we care about, and our surroundings.
Sunday will offer a wonderful opportunity to spend quality time with your partner, or hang out with friends. A Cancer Moon sextile with Mars in Virgo, as well as with Uranus in Taurus, will set the scene for romance, or some well-deserved fun and laughter! If you are not in a social mood, Sunday will also be the ideal time to redecorate your home, or finish that creative project you have been procrastinating on.
Crown Chakra Meditation For Mental Health
These days, many people face mental health challenges. In a world where so many demands are placed upon our time and energy, there never seems to be enough time for relaxation and proper self-care. One way to improve one’s mental health and gain greater clarity is to regularly do some energy work focusing on the crown chakra.
The chakras are a system of energy centers that regulate our physical health, mental acuity, and emotional well-being. Chakra (cakra in ancient Sanskrit) means ‘wheel’ and it is essentially a ‘spinning disk’ or vortex of energy. The chakras represent the flow of life force or pranic energy through the mind-body.
There are seven primary or major chakras in the subtle or light body, spanning from the base of the spine up to the crown of the head. Each chakra has its own frequency, symbolism, color, and function. For optimal health and well-being, the chakras should be kept activated, open, balanced and aligned.
The seventh chakra at the crown of the head, also known as sahasrara padma, is the highest of the primary chakras. It is depicted as a 1000-petal lotus flower and represented by the color violet. This chakra is the energy center of our spiritual connection to the divine, from which all the other chakras emanate. The crown chakra is where we connect to God, Goddess, Source, Spirit, the Divine. It is also my experience that it is at the crown where we engage with our guardian angels and spirit guides.
Transform Your Life One Step At A Time
Knowing when to make that much needed change in your life can be daunting and very confusing. We often feel this need for change when we already have a lot going on. We tend to also overthink things and then feel overwhelmed, or even paralyzed with anxiety or fear.
Once you get into this kind of ‘stuck’ pattern, nothing seems to get done or resolved. No choices or decisions are made. In turn, this causes even more unhappiness, distress, and turmoil in your life. We all have a tendency to get in our own way.
Over the years of working with many clients in this situation, spirit has always made one thing very clear: it always starts with a firm choice or decision. You don’t have to act on it immediately, but it instantly begins to shift your energy in a new direction, or towards a long-term solution.
Indecision, fear, or lack of commitment to a clear vision for the future is first and foremost what keeps many people stuck indefinitely in the stagnant energy loop of an unhappy, unfulfilled life.
Once you have made up your mind about what you intend to achieve or which direction you wish to go, you gain more clarity and become calmer and more grounded to start taking baby steps forward. Then you can begin to resolve the situation one step at a time with spirit’s support.
To get started consider a simple, step-by-step approach to make break the process down into smaller steps that will be less overwhelming and more attainable.